Ukraine Entry Requirements

Ukraine
A valid passport at the time of entry is
required. U.S. citizens are exempt from the requirement to have a Ukrainian visa
as long as the duration of their stay in Ukraine does not exceed 90
days and the purpose of their travel is tourism, private travel, or
business. U.S. citizens whose planned stay in Ukraine exceeds 90 days
must have visas authorizing their entry into Ukraine. If the purpose of
their visit is other than tourism, private travel, or business, an
appropriate Ukraine visa must be obtained regardless of the length of stay. The Government of Ukraine does not issue visas at its
borders or ports of entry. Visas must be obtained in advance by those who need them.

U.S. citizens may apply for all types of visas
through Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates overseas. Contact details
for Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates are available on the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Visas may also be obtained from the Consular Office of the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., or from Ukrainian Consulates
General in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco.

Please check your visa carefully upon receipt and pay careful
attention to validity dates. Each traveler is responsible for
understanding the type of visa issued and the provisions of the
visa. Frequently, American citizens are refused re-entry to
Ukraine because they thought they possessed a multiple entry visa, but
in fact their visa was valid for only a single entry. In some
cases, Americans attempt to enter Ukraine before their visa becomes
valid. This is a common mistake, since in Ukraine the date is
written day-month-year, not month-day-year. Thus, a visa issued on
01/05/09 is valid from May 1, 2009 and NOT from January 5,
2009. Such travelers can be detained at the port of entry, refused
admission, and sent back to the country from which they
traveled. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is unable to assist travelers
in these situations.

American citizens traveling to or staying in Ukraine are
reminded of the recent changes to Ukrainian immigration law. While
differences in interpretation have not yet been fully clarified, it
currently appears that the terms “registration” and “allowed period of
stay” should be treated as synonyms.

For American citizens visiting Ukraine,
whether on a visa or visa-free, registration is completed at the border
by border control officers for a maximum period of 90 cumulative days
during a consecutive 180 day period. The calculation of the 90 day
period begins from the date of first entry into
Ukraine. Registration can be extended in certain situations by
Ukrainian immigration authorities and will be valid only for continuous
stay in the country, but not for re-entry to Ukraine. Otherwise,
visitors must leave the country before the 90 day period ends and they
will not be allowed re-entry until the consecutive period of 180 days
from the date of first entry expires.

Proof of sufficient funds is also required for all foreign
travelers to Ukraine. This is calculated by multiplying the current
monthly subsistence level amount (currently at 1,176.00 UAH) by 20 then
dividing the amount by 30 (standard # of days in a month). The
resulting amount should then be multiplied by the number of days of
intended stay plus 5 days. U.S. citizens are advised to use 1,300 UAH
per month when calculating as the subsistence level is constantly
changing and is expected to go as high as 1,256 UAH by the end of 2014.
Here's a sample computation for a 40-day stay in Ukraine:

Extensions of stay are processed through the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Office of Citizenship, Immigration and
Registration (also known as “OVIR”). Most cities will have several
OVIR offices. Contact numbers for central regional OVIR offices
can be found on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Office of Citizenship, Immigration and Registration
(in Ukrainian only). Applications for extension of registration
should be submitted at least three days before the current registration
expires. Extensions are not automatic, however, and are valid only
for continued presence in the country. It is not possible to
depart Ukraine and return on the extension, nor can an adjustment to
visa status be made from within Ukraine.

For more details regarding Ukrainian visas and registration procedures, American citizens are advised to contact the nearest
Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate abroad or the nearest OVIR office within Ukraine.

Travelers who intend to visit Russia from Ukraine must also have a Russian visa. Visitors to Ukraine should note that Ukrainian law requires them to obtain health insurance.

In March 2014, Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula, which
remains part of Ukraine notwithstanding Russia's illegal military
intervention. At this time the de facto Russian authorities are
requiring that non-Russian citizens obtain a Russian visa to enter and
exit Crimea by air, land, or sea. The Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs further announced that non-Russian citizens residing in Crimea
when the occupation occurred must obtain an exit permit from the de
facto Russian authorities before being allowed to depart the region.
The Ukrainian government has confirmed that time spent in Crimea counts
against the 90 days U.S. citizens are allowed to remain in Ukraine
without a visa. U.S. citizens are urged to follow the guidance in the Travel Warning for Ukraine and defer all travel to the Crimean Peninsula at this time.